Telephone attachment.



No. 759,280. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904. S. G. HOUGHTON & P. M. POTTER, JR. TELBPHONE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. 1903.

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TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

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No. 759,280. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904. s. 0. HOUGHTON & F. M. POTTER, JR.

TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.30, 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

STEPHEN C. HOUCH"ON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AND FRANK M. POTTER, J R, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent NO. 759,280, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed December 30, 1903. Serial No. 187,128. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN C. Honou- TON, of San Francisco,county of San Francisco, State of California, and FRANK M. POTTER, Jr. of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, State of N cw York, have invented an Improvement in Telephone Attachments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like char- Io actors on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to telephone attachments, and is intended as an improvement upon the telephone attachment shown in Letters Patent granted to S. C. Houghton, No. 586, 793, 5 dated July 20, 1897. In said patent a laterally-movable supporting arm is shown to which a receiver is rigidly connected, said arm by its lateral movement operating a switch or switches for connecting the transmitter and receiver in circuit and for disconnecting the ground-circuit, providing a ground-circuit is employed, and suitable conductors pass along said arm which conduct the current to the receiver.

5 One of the objects of this invention is to so 1 construct the laterally-movable receiver-supporting arm that the arm itself shall serve as conductors for the current to the receiver,

thereby avoiding the necessity of employing 3 outside conductors.

Another object of this invention is to im the transmitter and receiver in circuit and disconnecting the bell therefrom, providing a bell is employed, which is operated by said receiver-supporting arm.

Another object of this invention is to provide a frame adapted to support both the transmitter and receiver and to provide a support for said frame upon which it is vertically adadjustable, whereby said transmitter and receiver may be held at different elevations. 5

Another object of this invention is to provide a vertically-adjustable frame supporting the transmitter and receiver with a set of traveling contact-pens and to provide the support for said frame with stationarily-supported conductors so disposed as to be engaged by said contact-pens, whereby electrical connection is established regardless of the position of the frame on its support.

Another object of this invention is to provide aframe adapted to support both the transmitter and receiver and to provide a support for said frame upon which it is vertically adjustable and also movable on the vertical axis, whereby it may be swung to one side when- 5 ever desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means whereby the line may be held when once called for the convenience of either party leaving the instrument tempo- 7 rarily, said means, however, being under the control of the central-ofiice operator, so that the line may be restored to normal by said central-oflice operator, if desired.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a telephone attachment embodying this invention. Fig.

2 is a transverse section of the telephone attachment shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the telephone attachment, taken on the 30 dotted line 3 3, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionof a portion of the telephone attachment, taken on the dotted line 4 L, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the back plate of the frame which supports 5 the transmitter and the receiver and parts mounted thereon. Fig. 6 is a rear side view of said back plate, showing the traveling contact-pens thereon. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the contact-plates by which the double-wire 9o receiver-support is connected with the circuitwires.

cuits.

. The telephone-transmitter a is of anyusual or suitable construction and is mounted upon a frame a, which is herein shown as a box-like Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the cirstructure, which contains within it the switches and circuit connections to be described. The telephone-receiver b is likewise of any usual or suitable construction, and said receiver is attached to the outer end of a supporting-arm, which, as herein shown, consists of two stiff wires 6 b of suitable length and curved substantially as shown in Fig. 2 or otherwise formed, thereby disposing the receiver in proper position with respect to the transmitter. The outer ends of these wires are respectively connected to the terminal connections of the receiver, and the inner ends thereof are connected to a block 6 of insulating material, which is swiveled to the frame a, whereby the receiver may be swung from one to the opposite side of the transmitter.

Z) represents a piv0t-screw for swiveling the block I2 and the head of said screw bears upon a plate 6 which is secured to the block b by a screw 7)", which passes through or engages the wire support 6 to complete an electrical connection between the wire support Z) and the pivot-screw, and a screw 6 is screwed into the block I), which passes through or engages the wire support 6 the head of which projects from the rear side of said block and is adapted to engage one or the other end of a contact-plate b to complete an electrical connection between said wire support If and said contact-plate. The contact-plate b is made circular in form and is held in place between two superimposed pieces of insulating material 6, (see Figs. i and 7,) which are secured in a circularly-formed shell 6 through the center of which the pivot-screw b passes. The shell 6 has a lug Z) projecting from its rear side, which enters the frame a, and a circuit-wire 2 passes through a hole in said lug I) to the contact-plate I). The pivot-screw is made quite long and extends through the shell 5 and into the lug F for a short distance to thereby establish a good electrical connection with said lug.

A pivot-screw 0 passes through the lug b? into the frame a, which serves as a pivot for the lug and parts supported by it, so that the lug may be moved a limited distance in either direction to thereby provide a lateral movement for the receiver-supporting arm. Thus it will be observed that the receiver-supporting arm may be swung on the pivot I) to occupy a position at either side of the transmitter and may also be moved laterally and that the wire supports which constitute said supporting-arm serve as conductors for the current to the receiver.

The pivoted lug 6 which projects rearwardly from the shell I) or other pivoted support for the swivel-block, is adapted to serve as the actuator for one or more switches, acting as a cam, so that by a lateral movement of the receiver-supporting arm the transmitter and receiver may be connected in circuit and. the ringer or ground-circuit (if employed) may be disconnected.

l/Vithin the frame a a flat spring (Z is supported, upon which said lug bears, and the extremity of said lug is formed with a square end, so that as it is moved on its pivot the flat spring will be depressed by either corner of said lug, as represented in Fig. 4. The flat spring (Z acts upon the square-ended lug to normally hold said lug and parts to which it is connected in a position whereby the spring is not under tension, and therefore acts to restore the laterally-movable receiver-supporting arm to normal position whenever released. Back of said flat spring the insulating end of a spring-acting strip d terminates, which strip is supported at its opposite end between insulated plates on a stand (Z The strip d is located between a pair of similar spring-acting strips (Z d and is adapted to engage one or the other of said strips (Z CZ, according to the position that it occupies. Normally it is held by its inherent spring action in engagement with the strip (Z the lug 6 at such time being in the full-line position shown in Fig. 4; but when said lug is moved in either direction said strip (Z will be disengaged from the strip d" and moved into engagement with the strip (F.

The strips (Z d constitute one of the switches, and the strips CZ (Z constitute the other switch, which are contained within the frame a, and each switch is operated by the pivoted lug, which is in turn operated by the lateral movement of the receiver-supporting arm. WVhen the switch (1 (Z is closed, the bell-circuit is established, and when said switch is opened and the switch (lid closed the bell-circuit is opened and the circuit including the trans mitter and receiver is closed.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 8, the uppermost contact-strip (Z is connected by wire 3 with a foot 0, which supports the movable members of two circuit-operating devices to be described. The middle contact-strip (Z is connected by a wire 4 with the binding-post f,

and the lowermost contact-strip 6? is connected by a wire 2, through the transmitter and receiver, with the binding-post g. h represents a binding-post supporting the stationary member of one of the circuit-operating devices above referred to. On the rear side of the back plate a of the frame a three contact-pens 2' i are secured by connections which pass through the plate and which are respectively connected to the binding-posts g, h, and f, and the free ends of said contactpens bear upon three stationarily-supported rods or bars or wires 1' which are secured to a backboard l1, said contact-pens bearing upon said stationarily-supported rods or wires to establish an electrical connection. A pair of parallel-disposed rods or bars on are mounted on said backboard k, and the frame a is i v 0 formed or provided at one side with a vertlcal hole adapted to receive one of said rods or bars m and has at the opposite side a pivoted clasp M, which is adapted to engage the other rod or bar on, thereby mounting the frame on said rods or bars, and said frame is free to slide up and down on said rods or bars as guides in order that it may be held at different elevations, and as it moves up and down the contact-pens i a" remain in engagement with the stationarily-supported rods or wires. By disengaging the clasp m said frame may be'swung on a vertical axis.

For the purpose of holding the line for the convenience of the user, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, a second circuit-closing device is provided within the frame 6/, represented as a lever a, pivoted at n to the foot 6 and one of the coils or of the electromagnet a The lever a has a stud a, which projects through the frame (1/ to be accessible from the exterior thereof. A wire 7 passes from the hinding-post g to the electromagnet n and back to the core a, and when the lever 02, is pressed into engagement with said core a path for the current is established through the lever or, its pivot and foot 0, to the wire 3, which leads to the uppermost contact-strip 0Z By pressing said lever a into engagement with the core at a circuit throughthe electromagnet is closed, and the lever a, which is constructed to also serve as an armature for said electromagnet, is attracted and held by said electromagnet until the circuit thus established is broken or sufiiciently diminished. The circuit, therefore, may be closed by pressing the lever a just the same as it will be closed by moving laterally the receiver-supporting arm. An arm 0 is connected with said lever 02 which serves as the movable member of a second circuit-breaking device, said arm normally engaging astationary contact or member 1/, which is connected with the bindingpost it, so that whenever the lever a is depressed the arm 0 will open the circuit to the binding-post 7b, which, as here shown, is the circuit including the bell.

\Ve do not desire to limit our invention to the particular construction of parts as herein shown, as it is obvious that many of the parts may be differently constructed and yet subserve substantially the same functions or their equivalents.

The telephone attachments are herein shown in connection with certain circuits and connections merely for the sake of illustration, as we desire it to be understood that so far as our invention is concerned it may be used in connection with any other telephone-circuit.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a telephone-transmitter, of a telephone-receiver, a laterallymovable current-conducting supporting-arm to which said receiver is rigidly connected, which supports said receiver in proper position with respect to the transmitter, means for connecting said arm with the circuitwires, and a switch operated by said supporting-arm, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a telephone-transmitter, of a telephone-receiver, a laterallymovable current-conducting supporting-arm, to which said receiver is rigidly connected, which supports said receiver in proper position with respect to the transmitter, means for connecting said arm with the circuit-wires, a switch operated by said supporting-arm, and a pivot for said receiver-supporting arm, whereby it may be swung from one to the opposite side of the transmitter, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a tele1 )hone-trans mitter, of a telephone-receiver, a verticallyadjustable frame adapted to swing on a vertical axis bearing said transmitter and receiver, supports for said frame, traveling contactpens carried by said frame, and corresponding stationarily-supported conductors adapted to be engaged by said contact-pens, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a telephone-transmitter, of a telephone-receiver, a verticallyadjustable frame carrying said transmitter and receiver, a pair of guide-rods on which i said frame slides, a clasp borne by the frame adapted to engage one of said guide-rods, and when disengaged therefrom, to permit said frame to swing on a vertical axis, a set of contact-pens carried by said frame, and a corresponding set of stationarily-disposed conductors adapted to be engaged by said contactpens, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a telephone transmitter and receiver, a line-circuit, a circuitclosing switch for connecting them in circuit, means for operatingit, a circuit-closing switch for the line, means for operating it, and an electromagnet adapted to be operated by the line-circuit for holding said last-named circuit-closing switch closed, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a telephone transmitter and receiver, a line-circuit, a circuitclosing switch for connecting them in circuit, means for operating it, a circuit-closing switch for the line, ahand-lever for operating it, and an electromagnet adapted to be operated by the line-circuit for holding the last-named circuit-closing switch closed, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a telephone transmitter and receiver, a line-circuit, a circuitclosing switch for connecting them in circuit, a bell and a circuit-breaking switch for disconnecting it from the line-circuit, means for operating said switches, a second circuit-closing switch for the line, and a second circuit breaking switch for the bell-circuit, means for operating said last-named switches and an electromagnet operated by the line-circuit for holding said last-named switches in their abnormal positions, substantially as described.

8. A telephone-receiver, a double-wire supporting-arm therefor, a pivoted block to which the wires of said supporting-arm are secured, means for connecting one of said wires with the pivot of said block, a shell bearing said pivoted block, having a rearwardly-extending lug, a frame to which said lug is pivoted, a contact-plate on said shell, and means for connecting the other wire of said supporting-arm with said contact-plate, and a switch operated by said lug, substantially as described.

9. A telephone-receiver, a double-wire sup porting-arm, a swivel-block to which said supporting-arm is attached, a pivoted support to which said block is swiveled, a contacbplate on said support, means for connecting one of the wires of said supporting-arm with the swivel of the block, and means for connecting the other wire of said supporting-arm with the contact-plate on the support, and a switch operated by said pivoted support, substantially as described.

STEPHEN C. HOUGHTONt FRANK M. POTTER, JR.

Witnesses to signature of Stephen (1H0 ugh ton:

B. J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS. WVitnesses to signature of Frank M. Potter, J r.

GEO. H. BOND, EDWARD ScHoENEcK. 

